André Hambourg (May 5, 1909 - Dec 4, 1999) was born in Paris in 1909 and received an education at l’École Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs under Paul Nicolausse and at l’École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Hambourg had his first solo exhibition at the young age of 19 at the Galerie Taureau in Paris, and soon after became a staple in the Paris Salons.

In 1933, Hambourg was awarded the Prix de la Villa Abd-el Tif. As a result of this award, he was able to travel to North Africa, where he spent nearly a decade painting in Algeria and Morocco. Throughout his years in North Africa, Hambourg exhibited his paintings in numerous one-man shows.

In 1939 he served as a military reporter and artist working on the staff of the Journal dul Commissariat a la Guerre, where special missions on combat vessels eventually led to his appointment as a war correspondent in 1944 with the staff of inter-allied SHAEF. In recognition of his wartime contributions Hambourg was awarded the Croix de Guerre and a Chevalier of the Ordre de la Sante Publique.

He then returned to his artistic career and became the official painter of the Navy in 1952. This maritime aspect of his career resulted in several unique honors being bestowed upon him, including being awarded the Laureate of the Salon de la Marine, and becoming the official painter of the Marine Ministry.

His late career also awarded him with the special honor of painting a monumental mural for the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

Unveiled in 1973, its opening ceremony was attended by the President, Duke, and Duchess of Luxembourg.

Hambourg gained a rare amount of recognition during his lifetime; his paintings hang in more than fifty museums in France and around the world.

His Venetian scenes, calm landscapes, and serene seascapes project a luminosity that brings life to the heart of each of his paintings. In all of his travels, Hambourg carried his own artistic ambience with him. He caught the color of each particular transient moment, held it and magnified it in a dynamic mutability, making him and his paintings synonymous with the highest standards of French Art.

DATES OF SELECTED SIGNIFICANT EXHIBITIONS

1928 - Debut solo exhibition at the age of 19 at the Galerie Taureau in Paris 1928;

1939 - Eighty works shown at a show at the Musée d’Outre-Mer in Paris;

1970 - Five hundred works in a retrospective at the Maison de Culture in Bourges;

1973 - 195 square foot mural for the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg;